The program, co-sponsored by the William A. McClain Center for Diversity and the Department of Philosophy, is free and open to the public.

Described as a “prominent and provocative democratic intellectual,” West is best known for his classic book Race Matters, Democracy Matters, in addition to his two-year-old memoir Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud. West’s newest book is The Rich And The Rest Of Us, co-authored with syndicated radio host Tavis Smiley.

A frequent guest on the Bill Maher Show, Colbert Report, CNN and C-Span, he can be heard weekly on Smiley’s NPI radio program, The Smiley and West radio show, a highly acclaimed progressive program. West made his film debut in the Matrix, and he was the commentator with Ken Wilbur on the official trilogy released in 2004. He also has appeared in more than 25 documentaries and films, including Examined Life, Call & Response, Sidewalk and Stand.

He has made three spoken word albums, including Never Forget, on which he collaborated with Prince, Jill Scott, Andre 3000, Talib Kweli, KRS-One and the late Gerald Levert. His recent spoken word interludes were featured on Terence Blanchard’s Choices, which won the Grand Prix in France for the best Jazz Album of the year of 2009. West is also known to have a passion to communicate to a vast variety of publics in order to keep alive the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and his “legacy of telling the truth and bearing witness to love and justice.”

Contributors to his appearance include the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education; WRAY Fund; Professor of Religion and Springfield Mayor Warren Copeland; University Provost Chris Duncan; African Diaspora Studies; Ty Buckman, First-Year programs; the Departments of History and Philosophy; Matevia Endowed University Pastor Rachel Tune, Weaver Chapel; John Young, Office of Multicultural Student Programs; Office of Student Development; the Tiger Fund; Build a Better Wittenberg Fund; the Women’s Studies Program and the Faculty Endowment Fund Board.